ATLANTA – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) announced today that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc. a grant to support the Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) Program in Georgia.
Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience debilitating pain and often have a significantly lower life expectancy than others. According to the CDC, SCD affects approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States, but the exact number of people with SCD is unknown. This program, authorized in 2018 with support from Rep. Carter, gathers health information from multiple sources to determine how many people live with this disease in a particular state, how SCD impacts their health, and how researchers can improve medical treatments to improve health outcomes for patients, according to its website.
“Sickle cell disease is a debilitating condition that, frankly, we don’t know enough about. Unfortunately, Georgia is home to one of the largest sickle cell disease populations in the country, which is why it’s so important that we act quickly to save lives and prevent further pain. This grant will help the State of Georgia understand the full scope of SCD and work towards a cure, and I am thrilled that Georgia State will be a leader in this important national program,” said Rep. Carter.
“This project will allow Georgia State University to expand our sickle cell data collection program to newer years of data and additional data sources and improve our ability to share data with Georgia’s robust network of partners to positively impact the lives of those living sickle cell disease, their families and communities,” said Dr. Angie Snyder, Director, Health Policy and Planning, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
Read more about the CDC’s SCDC program here.
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